Note: In a career context, all numbers are restricted between 0 and 5. However, in a match context, the numbers are not restricted. For simplicity, we are changing the scale here in the report and expressing every Match Impact number as a percentage. The maximum percentage (100) is assigned to the highest impact player of the match. All other players in the match are scaled relative to him. Negative Match Impact indicates that not only did the player not contribute in the match, but he also had an adverse effect on his team’s chances.​​

New Zealand drew first blood in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 2016/17 following a thrilling six-run win over neighbours Australia in Auckland on Monday (30 Jan).

Marcus Stoinis was the highest impact player for his valiant all-round performance.

With the ball, Stoinis claimed three top/middle-order wickets (3 for 49 in ten overs). He was restrictive (high Economy Impact ), ended a promising second-wicket partnership by dismissing Kane Williamson ( Partnership-Breaking Impact ), and then proceeded to put the home team under pressure with quick scalps of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro ( Pressure-Building Impact , as New Zealand slipped from 128 for 3 to 134 for 5).

Stoinis wasn’t done yet.

Chasing 287, the visiting team were in deep trouble at 54 for 5 when Stoinis joined Glenn Maxwell at the crease. The score was soon 67 for 6 following Maxwell’s departure, putting the right-hander under even more pressure ( Pressure Impact ). He carried on, unfazed, building partnerships along the way ( Partnership-Building Impact ) and finished with an unbeaten 117-ball 146 (high Strike Rate Impact ). He was, by far, the top-scorer ( Runs Tally Impact ) and took Australia tantalisingly close to victory before running out of partners.

Albeit in vain, Stoinis’ efforts in the series opener saw him finish as the highest impact batsman and bowler as well.

And as it also turned out, Stoinis’ showing was the highest impact performance in a losing cause in the history of ODI cricket – surpassing Wasim Akram’s heroics against Australia in the first final of the Benson & Hedges World Series 1989/90.

In ODI cricket overall, Stoinis’ effort is the seventh-highest impact of all time and the third-highest by an Australian after Gary Gilmour (6 for 14 in 12 overs; 28 not out off 28 balls) and Andy Bichel (7 for 20 in 10 overs; 34 not out off 36 balls) against England in 1975 (Prudential World Cup semifinal) and 2003 (ICC World Cup 2002/03, Pool A fixture) respectively.

Mitchell Santner, meanwhile, was New Zealand’s highest impact player for his three wickets in the evening’s most economical spell (3 for 44 in ten overs).

As many as four players from Australia – top/middle-order batsmen, all of them – failed in the first One-Day International. New Zealand had just one such player.